Later that evening, Ruby was making herself accustomed to her new room, exploring the layout and the clothes that'd been returned to her after her successful escape attempt. She filtered through the frilly dresses and lacey garments with clear disdain before a dull knock at her door caught her attention. It was not heavy-handed and authoritative. Rather, it seemed meek, almost unsure.
Ruby set aside the dresses to answer the door, seeming taken aback as the first thing she saw was a large bouquet of roses thrust toward her. She backed away, sputtering from the petals that invaded her mouth. "What the fuck?!"
Odeen stood behind the mass of roses, seeming perplexed and confused. He turned toward Jasher, who had been dragged along with a quizzical expression. "It seems as though she doesn't like the gesture of roses. Prepare the fruit basket."
Jasher shook his head, wearing an amused expression at his king's antics. "Sire, I just think she didn't appreciate having flowers shoved in her face the moment that she answered the door. She's in a whole new world, and she's probably startled enough as it is."
Ruby stood at her door with her arms crossed, looking between the two as they spoke a language foreign to her. "What? Making another deal behind my back, Jasher? What is it this time? Are you going to gift my firstborn to Odeen?"
Jasher rolled his eyes, switching to English to address Ruby. "No, while I have apologised to you profusely, you still rub that in my face. I'm sorry that I essentially agreed to your marriage without your permission." Ruby raised a brow, beginning to tap her foot. Jasher sighed in defeat. "And for treating you like property to be given away."
Ruby backed away when Odeen held the roses out towards her, wearing a gentle, almost warming smile. "What's with him? He doesn't actually believe that we're going to get married, does he?"
Jasher shook his head, gesturing for Ruby to take the roses. "They're his apology. He wanted to say sorry for mistaking you for his runaway bride. And for scaring, kidnapping and treating you poorly. He might not seem like it, but he's a bumbling idiot. A good king, but once you get to know him, you'll come to realise he lacks a lot in the way of social norms."
Ruby scoffed, taking the flowers that were offered with a tight smile. "I see. So the king who beheaded someone because they insulted him is actually a big softie? Gee, I feel safer already knowing that."
Jasher sucked in a harsh breath, groaning to himself. "I forgot that I told you about that. Look, I don't know why it happened in the first place! Come on, Ruby." Jasher whined. Odeen sighed, feeling left out of the conversation.
"Rhudy." Odeen addressed Ruby himself, bowing his head low as he spoke at her with a flurry of words that made no sense. Jasher cleared his throat, politely correcting Odeen. "What? I said Rhudy. What do you mean?"
Jasher scratched the back of his neck, grunting in annoyance. "Odeen, sire, her name is RuBy. It's the same as what you did to me. My name is Jasper, but after years of being called Jasher, I just kind of adopted the name."
"Wait – your name isn't Jasher? For how long?" Jasher's eye twitched in annoyance as Odeen shook his head in dismissal. "Regardless, have you told her that I apologise for my brash actions? I need her to be agreeable. You know what's on the line."
Jasher sighed, rubbing his temples in annoyance. "Do you have to put it that way, sire? Yes, I've told her that you apologise for what you've put her through. Now, if you want me to get her on board, you have to let me discuss it with her." Odeen grunted, shifting his gaze back to Ruby silently.
Ruby gripped the flowers tighter, staring at Odeen with a threatening glare. Jasher approached Ruby slowly. "Odeen thinks it would be best to begin teaching you the language quickly. The sooner you understand what's going on around you, the better."
Ruby sighed weakly, passing the flowers to Jasher. "I don't have a vase to put these in." Ruby approached Odeen, sizing him up with mild amusement. "He's a towering tank of a man, isn't he? Yet he's apologising to someone who's essentially a commoner. It's mildly amusing. Alright, Odin. I'll learn your language. You're going to hear my unfiltered thoughts, though." Jasher broke out in a cold sweat. Ruby leaned closer, causing Odeen to take a step back. "Without the rosy filter your knight places over my words."
Odeen cleared his throat nervously, feeling his face redden, though not out of anger. His jaw opened and closed repeatedly, yet all that came out was, "My name is Odeen." Before the realisation hit. "I see. Pronouncing Rhudy and Jasher correctly may be difficult for me, but I'll continue to work on the phrasing. It is upsetting to hear your name incorrectly."
Ruby looked toward Jasher, who stood with his jaw agape in shock. "He... uh – he's saying that he will work on his pronunciation of our names. I'll be honest, I never thought that he'd even attempt learning them. Who would have thought it was as easy as mispronouncing his name? Now for the biggest thing." Jasher dropped to his knees, grabbing the hem of Ruby's shirt. "PLEASE don't piss Odeen off! I like breathing!"
Ruby was taken aback, and Odeen was left utterly stunned at the display. Ruby struggled to remove Jasher's hands, struggling in his tight grasp. "Get a hold of yourself, you're acting like a fool!" Ruby grabbed Jasher by the back of his collar, lifting him off the floor, yet he never let her go. "Shit – you're impossibly light."
Jasher thrashed in her arms, being mildly strangled by his collar. "No! You're just really strong! I told you this before, when we pass through to this world, we're imbued with the magic that lies in the Inbetween! It's how I became a knight so fast! Ruby, put me down!"
Ruby smirked, letting Jasher dangle for a moment longer. "Actually, this works out perfectly for me. Muscles over there might have the physical body that towers over mine, but if I'm stronger in comparison, I have nothing to fear."
"Were you born without the part of your brain that tells you when an idea is BAD?! Going up against Odeen is a terrible idea! I think you should put me down, agree that you'll learn the language, and play along with the charade until we talk with the wizards! Come on, it's the deal of a lifetime!" Jasper continued his dangling, not wanting to hurt Ruby in his struggle.
Ruby scoffed, dropping Jasher to the ground suddenly. "Why should I have to play nice when we can corner the wizards ourselves and get the information out of them?" Ruby grinned, an evil gleam active in her eyes. "Even if we have to knock them around a bit until they tell us."
Jasher groaned, rubbing his throat as he returned to his feet. "The wizards are a protected people here. They deal in good magic, and they are actively fighting the use of black magic in this realm. Going after them with threatening intent will land you in a trial, and possibly the death sentence! Use your head!"
Ruby sighed in annoyance, crossing her arms. "Fine, if I have to learn their language, I will. But I can't promise that I'll be nice. This guy was so cruel to me when we first met. He dragged me through this castle, yelled at me, physically intimidated me, and had to be persuaded that the chick who suddenly spoke another language wasn't his betrothed."
Jasher groaned, rubbing his face to quell the frustration. "First of all, Odeen doesn't physically intimidate. He's physically massive. He's intimidating without meaning to be! Secondly, he thought you were Safire, the woman who ran away, thrusting this kingdom into possible war with hers! Of course, he was pissed! Just behave. Please."
Ruby growled, crossing her arms to turn her back on Odeen. "Fine, but you can tell your king this word-for-word. I am marrying you to get a meeting with the wizards. My end goal is returning home. I have nothing to do with your war, and I have no interest in getting any deeper than a sham wedding."
Jasher swallowed thickly, but he did as he was told. Odeen nodded in understanding, entering Ruby's room to speak calmly. "Jasher, translate for me. Rhudy." Jasher sighed, actively translating for Odeen as he spoke.
"I'm sorry that you've been dragged into this situation. You've been placed in the middle of something that has nothing to do with you, and now it is up to you to help us escape a grave situation. Your efforts have not gone unseen, and I will ensure that your every need is personally met. I have something for you. I was going to keep it on me, but seeing as you're not from this plane, I doubt that it's black magic."
Ruby turned toward Odeen as he pulled her phone from his pocket, offering it to her. The screen was cracked, and the shell had serious dents. Ruby's face lit up as she took the device with excitement. "My phone! Jasher, he had my phone this whole time?"
Jasher stood with wide eyes, a little in awe himself. "I suppose so. I have mine. It died a few years ago, but it worked for a while. No reception, obviously. Wow, I haven't seen one of those in years." Jasher approached Ruby in awe as she powered on the device, overjoyed when it began to glow to life. "It still works! Awesome, do you have any music?"
Ruby scoffed, heading toward her files. "Please, I was the queen of pirating music. Pick your poison, Jasper. I downloaded a truckload of music to practice choreography with! I have something from every century."
Jasher snatched Ruby's phone in a blur of excitement. "My name is Jasher now. I'm not used to people calling me by my birth name. Woah! You have entire libraries of my favourite artists!" Jasher chose a song, and when it began to blast through the speakers, Odeen stepped back, while the two Otherworlders shared a look of excitement. "Wow, if 100% lasts 31 hours, then we can conserve this and have music for 70 days for 1 hour a day!"
Ruby chuckled in amusement, snatching her phone back. "And at roughly 3 minutes per song, that's 20 songs! But what is this 'we' thing? What's in it for me if I agree to share my music with you?"
Jasher felt a burning determination alight within himself. "Extra rations, I'll take you out into the town often, I'll bring hot water for your baths instead of having to take them cold, and I will personally bargain with Odeen to allow you to keep your current wardrobe."
Ruby smirked, running her thumb across the device. "Well, I would have let you share the music if you had just asked and said please, but the rest sounds like too much to deny. Agreed."
Jasher sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Of course, you agree. Either way, I have not had the pleasure of enjoying the music from our world in years! Do you have any Guns N' Roses?"
Ruby crossed her arms, smirking with amusement. "Obviously, I do." Odeen stepped in a little closer, observing the device that blasted music with curiosity. "This must be like the most absurd kind of magic to someone who's never seen technology before."
Jasher shrugged, scrolling through the playlists. "More than likely. I didn't gain entry to the castle for about a year after I fell. I was with someone outside of the kingdom, actively being hunted by the knights. Apparently, I was an evil demon, hellbent on destroying the kingdom. It wasn't until I learned the language from an outsider and pleaded my innocence to the king after being detained that I was kept here. Odeen wanted to keep an eye on me, then I guess I grew on him."
Ruby frowned, staring at Odeen in disgust. "This guy really thinks that he can just treat people however he wants, doesn't he? So he essentially kidnapped you, too? What if the person who was caring for you worries about your safety?"
"They won't. They've got their hands busy with wandering travellers, and I see them often enough for them to know that I'm fine. After Odeen knew I was no threat, I was allowed to wander as I saw fit. Then I took the test to become an official knight, passed with flying colours, and the rest is history. I've been his right-hand knight for about 4 years now."
Ruby frowned deeply, a bit taken aback by the duration of Jasher's stay. "Hold on – 4 years?!" Jasher's interest in Ruby's phone halted at the realisation he'd said something he shouldn't have. Ruby's face darkened as she grabbed her phone, prying it from Jasher's hands. "How long have you been here without finding a way home, Jasher? How long exactly?"
-End of chapter 5-